Below_the_current I generally try to breakdown the review by category since I've found that the author often struggles in one area (say has a ton of little grammatical mistake or can't really set the pace) but excels in another or something (say super impressive world building or story idea).
Should I leave an honest review or be nice and lie?
I essentially, honest review or review swap, pretty much follow the same format for reviewing: pick a couple of things that I liked about the novel or that I thought the author did good in, and then list a couple of things that I thought the author could work on, and if I feel like it, list some additional tips as well. It's called constructive criticism, not destructive criticism, after all. Also I make sure that the tone with which I write the review is generally encouraging and on the positive side, because something a bit too negative could discourage an author from writing. Also keep in mind: is it something that the author can fix in a moment or over a long period of time? If you didn't like how the plot turned out or an aspect of a character, who knows, maybe the author intended it to be that way. But grammatical mistakes, on the other hand, are something else. Author's do appreciate corrections, and constructive criticism encourages maturity.
And please, even if you think a work is utter trash, never say that. That is something that the author has worked hard on. Just say something along the lines of "could use improvement". There is a delicate balance to find, an art to reviewing. And be mindful of how your words might come off as. Don't be overbearing over things like plot, character, and theme, because the author might have a specific vision in mind. It is their story, after all.
TL;DR: Constructive criticism, not destructive criticism. Give compliments as well as critique. Keep in mind that this is the author's story, and that they have feelings, but also remember that author appreciate feedback and honesty.
You can leave a review and still be respectful. This isn't an either/or deal. If you see a weakness point it out and if you have a suggestion for fixing it, let them know. Telling them what they did well never hurts either, even if it's a simple as I like the premise of your story, or your antagonist is interesting. That sort of thing always helps the author. The worst thing you can do is make it a personal attack. Nothing is worse for an aspiring author to be made to feel like they have no business writing a novel. I've been there, 0/10 would not reccomend.
I participated in the review swap thread some time ago.
I remember being extremely disappointed by one particular review. On the surface, the reviewer gave me 5/5 and sugarcoated everything with nice words, but it was so generic and was absolutely devoid of any meaningful content. Upon closer inspection of the reviewer's profile, I discovered they had a couple stock reviews, which were then copy-pasted for mass review swaps so they can rake in ratings and viewcount. It was blatantly obvious the person doesn't even read past the synopsis of their countetparts' stories. Zero hours of reading time!
I'd rather take a brutal yet honest dismantling of my work, because hey at least it's constructive and also a clear sign of somebody has actually read the story thoroughly enough. It's far better than a nicely worded review that doesn't really say anything.
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Gently point out mistakes. I don't comment on if I dislike the style of the story, but do comment if it's something I enjoy. (historical, versus fantasy, as an example. It's not the author's fault that I personally don't care for their chosen genre.)
I only pick two big impact things to point out. Whether a novel in my opinion has 100 flaws or just 2, I only bring up 2. Anything else I feel would probably hurt the author too bad. If they ask for further information, I'm honest, of course, but I'm not going to be a dick about it.
EDIT I also always find at least one or two things I like about the story too. There's always something
It's better to leave honest review if you can. Honest and constructive reviews are the best.
However, those who review only after reading less than 10 chapters in a long novel shouldn't leave a review. If you don't like it then drop it. Not every novel is as fast paced as the others. Some of them needs a build up before the plot truly unravel itself.
There are also others who only look at the intro and give harsh reviews that was only based on one chapter as if everything they pointed out should be explained right there and then. But when an author really did that, they would then cry for too much infodump. Smh
Below_the_current Always be honest. Give constructive criticism instead of just dissing the author/book. It will be highly appreciated and the author will also learn.
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Some readers have an low eq of leaving reviews like: This MC of the book is the stupidest MC of all the time etc. They probably only only reading Disney books and fairy tales. Their honest review is like a bad review of their own personal character.
Like many have already pointed out, it is good to leave constructive reviews or plot discussions. But never try to influence or change the main story line because it is not to your liking. It is like, I leaving 1 star because dark vader is so stupid and he screws himself up. Or 1 star because dark vader is so weak!
A proper review will look something like this rather than dark vader/the mc is the stupidest mc that I ever read (this is poor anger management): Although I don't agree with the MC saving his love because it may look like a poor decision to me (use may if you have not finished reading it), I saw that this is tagged science fiction. It should also be tagged romance or drama because the MC seems to be a romantic person etc.
A proper review takes into accounts five main pointers and character development only take 1 pointer. You will be surprise how many people put 1 star without finishing the book or for hating the MC. Some are stupid enough to read the wrong genre too. You be surprised how many readers put 1 star for reading only 1 chapter or just a few. They are just trolling.
JenniferHughes Spam...? :/
Being honest and giving constructive criticisms would actually please most authors. 1. It's proof that you really read their work/s; 2. It would help them to learn and develop their writing.